Head-trained, dry farmed old vines are again the source for Bogleâ€™s Old Vine Zinfandel. These gnarly old vines produce concentrated fruit of unsurpassed quality and intensity. This supple and mouth-filling vintage leads with juicy blueberry and ripe blackberry fruit. Black pepper and hints of chocolate notes integrate well with this soft, plush body. Subtle hints of spicy oak and pipe tobacco create structure, allowing this wine to stand up to a variety of fare. This is the perfect wine to pair with everything from rich sauces and unique dishes, to your favorite weeknight take-out.

I included the winemakers notes as they are right on imho. I wouldn't add or subtract anything...my impressions are the same. That being said my wife, on her first sip, asked "Is this a shiraz?" This Bogle zin, imho, is more like a shiraz/syrah than a zin. Delicious, none the less, but a horse of a different color. $15.

Popped an '05 tonight. It was $10.99 in a NH Liq Store, and weighed in at 14.5% alcohol. It is still delightful and somewhat Syrah like. It still amazes me that it can taste like what you think old vines should taste like and still carry a CA appellation.

California does have some old Zinfandel plantings--more so than with other varieties I would say. Sonoma County has many vineyards from Italian-American families that did not pull out the vines during Prohibition.